Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend I.Khalilova / The World Bank will hold a workshop in Baku on 29 November within the framework of the project on assistance to transit via railway and trade to familiarize Azerbaijan with the international experience in destructing railway, Baku office of the WB said on 28 November.
Should a decision is made the Azerbaijani Government can use of one of the reformation models offered it. A mission of the bank led by Jerald Olivie, the head of the project team, is to pay a day-visit to Baku to hold the workshop.
In addition to improvement of railway economy, the WB project envisages holding reforms and bringing the activity of the Railway Department in to conformity with the demands of the market economy. At present the Government is considering the reformation of the Department to a joint-stock company.
Through the WB grant, the consultants from Pabeco/Feneka/Sulaco consortium will prepare the marketing plan by the end of the year.
Financing the project will be implemented through credit resources of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which does not limit its loan.
According to the initial assessments, the cost of the project is $400mln. Share of Azerbaijan Government's participation will be between 20% and 30%.
The World Bank (WB) highlighted readiness to increase amount of finance for project on assistance to transit through railway and trade in Azerbaijan up to $371mln compared to previous $80mln.
The final amount of debts borrowed from the WB and the commencement of the project will be defined after the adoption of the State Program on railway infrastructure development in Azerbaijan (2007-2012), with the total budget of AZN 1,252bln.